Vikings insider says Khyree Jackson has a 'legitimate chance for significant playing time'

Could rookie corner Khyree Jackson be a key cog in the Vikings defense in 2024?

According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, there is a "legitimate chance for significant playing time if he can put together a strong spring and summer."

Minnesota's cornerback room may have the most questions surrounding it heading into the upcoming season. Last year, free agent signing Byron Murphy Jr. was OK as the team's primary outside corner. That wasn't how the Vikings envisioned using him throughout the season, though.

The original plan, according to Seifert, was for Murphy to handle the slot corner duties when the opposition lined up a receiver in the slot, but bump outside for two-receiver sets. Instead, due to injuries and lack of development from younger corners, Murphy spent a majority of the season as an outside corner, playing 596 snaps as an outside corner to 214 in the slot. Murphy proceeded to post his worst coverage grade (58.2) since his rookie season while allowing a 102.0 quarterback rating when targeted.

Minnesota has a number of options to help defensive coordinator Brian Flores execute his original vision for Murphy. Those other options though come with questions, which leaves the door open for Jackson to work his way onto the field.

Veteran corner Shaquill Griffin, who was brought in earlier this offseason, has a pedigree as a serviceable outside corner in the league. He's bounced around the last couple of years but has averaged a sub-100 quarterback rating throughout his career when targeted by opposition quarterbacks.

Third-year corners Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. have each had various struggles since being taken by the Vikings in the 2022 draft. Evans was the primary outside corner opposite Murphy last season but struggled down the stretch, suffering two midgame benchings down the stretch. Booth, a second-round pick in 2022, has struggled to stay healthy so far, which was an issue that hampered him in college.

Former Southern California corner Mekhi Blackmon showed flashes during his rookie season in 2023, registering eight pass break ups and a 71.8 coverage grade, the highest among corners on the team.

Jackson could use the uncertainty to his advantage, if he can perform well at OTAs, minicamp and training camp. In his lone year at Oregon, Jackson posted a 77.4 coverage grade while recording three interceptions, eight pass break ups and holding opposing quarterbacks to a 41.6 QB rating. The 24-year-old rookie lined up primarily as an outside corner for the Ducks in 2023.

At 6-foot-4, Jackson is the tallest corner on the roster. His length is something that senior vice president of player personnel Ryan Grigson described as "rare length, I mean, really rare length in size for a corner."

"At the end of the day you have a guy that can move that has instincts ... to match up in our league where there's so many big receivers that he's going to be able to hopefully match up against," Grigson said.

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Khyree Jackson (5) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports